Devon's latest experiments were lined up in front him. They certainly were an original idea.

Though they had only been assembled and taken out of the vats mere minutes ago, their obedience was greater than most biological creatures the Dark Lord had ever met in his life.

Of course, I designed them that way. Creatures of flesh are so much more loyal when you've built their brains with your own hands.

The monsters in front of him were breakthoughs in field of Sith alchemy. They had been tedious to construct, but looked well worth the time it had taken.

Devon's concept of these things had been inspired from the Imperial Sentienls millenia ago. To build them, he had borrowed liberally from Yuuzhan Vong shaping techniques. A touch of his own genius, and they were some of the best Sithspawn to date.

The Dark Lord had started with the DNA of the fittest and strongest humanoids in all his empire. He had mixed the samples together with various animals too obscure to recall, and had begun building these nightmares.

The idea would have seemed laughable to a qualified scientist, but the dark side of the Force could make such thingd quite real. After creating the DNA of his monsters, Devon had set about growing their organs in nutrient baths. The vats had been almost brimming with the dark side energies he had infused. He had let each of their organs develop for several weeks, while doing various things to strengthen them. Lungs were so much less vulnerable when surrounded by bones.

When the organs had grown to a large enough size, Devon had skeletons made for them out of durasteel and enhanced with Sith alchemy. It was a much stronger substance than regular bones.

After that, he had grafted skin for them. Hides would have been a better word, though. Even lightsabers had to strike several times to break through.

Blood was soon sent, and the Dark Lord had assembled each one of these monsters. The dark side had enhanced their powerful bodies while he built them all the way through, culminating in what was now before him.

Amazing creatures.

They had a basic humanoid shape, but their features were entirely alien. Their faces were gnarled with their protective skins, and had small bead-like eyes without any whites. Their noses looked as if they'd been flattened onto their heads, which were devoid of any hair. Their jaws stood out of proportion to the rest of their faces, and had chins nearly the size of their hands. Lastly, multiple inch-long teeth resided in their mouths. Naturally, they were made of metal. They also had claws of the same material that could retract from their fingers. Their large shoulders were out of proportion to the rest of their bodies, and their chests were more like slabs of stone than flesh.

Their nightmarish faces were hidden under inch-thick helmets with visors, so that they could have an extra weapon to terrify opponents with during the midst of a battle. Black robes and capes were draped across their bodies, concealing their unnaturally muscular forms. Underestimation was always useful, though their size didn't help. Each one was almost three times as tall as a grown man, and had fists the size of mellons. Clasped in each one was a double-edged halberd perfectly capable of scewering a bantha.

Their brains were the only flaw. They had extraordinarily small intellects, no doubt a side effect of the enhancements Devon had given. Their thoughts were advanced enough to crush things at most. As such, their minds have been slaved to their evil creator, and were extensions of his will. He could make them do anything right now if he wanted.

"My good creations, you have exceeded my expectations for when I made you." Devon praised. Not a single one responded. They all dumbly stared at him awaiting orders. Speech would be wasted on them.

"Hmm, creating more intelligent versions in the future could be very useful. They would be perfect bodyguards and crack troops," Devon mused to himself.

The horrors continued to stare at him blankly.

"Very well, to the point, though I doubt your minds can understand the words I am saying. I want you each to kill these people -" Devon projected images of Jae, Talin and Jolee into their heads. "I don't care how. Sacrifice yourselves in the process, you are disposable. Better versions of you should finish growing in the next few days."

"And now the finishing touches." Devon pulled off the black gloves he'd just started wearing to reveal two wrinkled hands that looked like they were growing fungus on the ends. He went to their halberds, and rubbed his diseased fingers on them. One hit, no matter how slight and where it was, would guarantee death. Since the bacteria came from him, it could most likely rot most species away into ooze within days.

Devon signaled for the beasts to kneel, and motioned for the droids that had taken care of them to come forward. Needles extended from them, and each of the monsters were given enough strength-enhancing drugs to stun a Wookiee. Satisified at last, he whirled his hands about to create a vortex of swirling blue energies in the air.

A Force storm. During Operation Shadow Hand millenia ago, Palpatine had become the first Sith Lord to use this technique. It involved conjuring powerful storms of energy that obliderated all in their path, by the means of creating hyperspace wormholes. Anything sucked into them could be hurled into a star and obliderated, if the dark side energies hadn't destroyed them already.

Of course, the technique was not entirely lethal. It could be used to simply transport people to places lightyears away without causing any injuries. That, however, involved only the where of things. Devon had broken through the barrier of time, and applied his new powers to the storm. Of course, it wasn't completely stable. Either it would send these nightmares of flesh six thousand years back in time to assassinate the three Jedi who threatened him, or the atoms of their bodies would be torn into shreads and scattered to who knew where or when.

Devon maintained the storm, and glanced at the monsters him. The order he issued was very simple, but baffled their small brains. "When I give the signal, walk forward under it hurts."

The creatures glanced at him vacantly.

Devon scowled. "Just stand there until I force you into the big blue glow. I will catch our good Jedi friends off guard."

"With a bit of luck, this ambush will succeed. If not, I can always send more batches of you out into time. You are all disposable."

The beasts said nothing, and stared at the big blue glow. The swirling energies were practically hypnotizing them. Yes, more intelligent versions would be needed indeed.

"I doubt that Twi'lek's cantina has ever had visitors like these," Devon mused.

[During Fighting, Solaris shouted through the force: "Emperor! Is this what you have? Ha! You need to do better than that!" Dodging a stab, Solaris jumped high and used his new feat, Blade Fury. He changed into a whirlwind of blades, shredding the aliens' bodies and tearing them apart..."You sure know how to throw a party! Emperor!" Solaris didn't forget to jeer through the force.--Just my idea. You may ignore it.]

The Ithorian crumpled for a moment, head lolling to the side before the other Masters joined to repel the vicious attempt to blind him. Jae saw the Ithorian Master, bolstered by others, cradle the darkside energy much like one might hold a tiny baby. The ball of writhing energy grew, and then with a flick of his hand, it shot back towards the Sith Lord. The other masters multiplied the strength and it surged forward. Their combined power made it a very simple thing to find the Lord—Emperor Devon—6,000 years away on Vryss. The dark defenses built there were not block the light so much as to thwart other Sith pretenders to the throne. It took no effort to breach the walls to find him, to see the crumbling framework that was his body, to find his little ‘experiments’, and to deliver the return blow.

Supat released the shimmering malevolence, and it wriggled around Devon like thousands of tiny snakes, biting at the nerve endings. He howled and shriveled in on himself, then tried to send a plea to Tysyacha for help. Jae broke off from the attack to fly to the girl, hoping to stop the plea from affecting the girl.

Tysyacha was in her room meditating, the glow of the Traya holocron casting a dim red light on the walls of the darkened room.

What is a Padawan doing with a Sith holocron? Who could have given her such a thing? Jae wondered. Ah, Devon, very clever. And Darth Traya, no less—how ironic. Jae kneeled down next to the girl, gently touching the very edge of her mind.

Tysy, Tysy—it’s me, Jae Onasi. You called for me. I’d like to speak to you, if you’ll let me.

Tysyacha opened her eyes and looked at Jae’s shimmering figure in surprise briefly before regaining her control. “How did you get here? How did you find me?”

“You called out. I felt your need, your confusion. I came as soon as I could to help you. I’m a Jedi, just as you are.”

“I don’t know—am I truly a Jedi anymore?”

Jae looked over at the holocron for a moment. “Traya is making you question your beliefs, isn’t she?”

Tysy nodded.

“She was from my time. She was known as the great betrayer—she rebuilt a damaged Jedi, only to turn on her and try to destroy her in order to destroy the Force. And now she’s asking you to betray everything you’ve ever known, everyone who is your friend, everyone one you love, all in the name of control and dominance.”

“Emperor Devon showed me his empire—it’s huge, and it’s free of war. He’s dying. He needs an heir to keep the peace and control he’s built up.”

“Tysy, his form of peace is a façade. Total oppression is not the same as peace. The kind of peace he sees is simply a lack of war, and he will do anything to crush any resistance to his will and whim. That is the way of the dark side. Let me show you….”

Jae flew with Tysyacha to Devon’s empire. “So peaceful, isn’t it? But look—there’s a young Ithorian below. He wants to be a scientist who studies birds. Instead, he’s been conscripted to create biological weapons to suppress a rebelling world, something totally abhorrent to Ithorians. If he doesn’t comply, his entire family will be killed. There’s a mother over there. She’s not allowed to mourn for her daughter, who died defending the right to speak freely. If the mother mourns, she also will be accused of sedition in not accepting the will of the Emperor to kill her daughter. People can’t move freely, can’t pursue their desires and dreams, can’t speak opposing views, can’t decide their own destinies. They live in bondage to the Emperor’s singular will, Tysy. Every single one of them. Anyone who has the courage to seek freedom is executed. He may call himself benevolent. But a benevolent dictator is still a dictator.”

“He says quadrillions, quintillions, could die in a civil war if I don’t join him in the dark side and preserve his empire.”

“That many died when he crushed the opposition on a dozen planets to force them to join his empire. They were not given freedom to join the Empire, they were assimilated against their will. The future is always in motion, Tysy. A civil war might happen. It might not. What I do know is that those who fight would be the ones guilty of murder, not you. And if you go down the dark path and become his heir, you will easily destroy that many sentients and more to maintain your throne and your dominance over the galaxy. You may build the façade of safety, but you will never be safe yourself from those who would overthrow you. You may see the appearance of peace, but you will never again know peace in your heart. Master Skywalker can tell you from his own experience what that felt like—you have only to ask him, and I encourage you to seek his counsel on this matter.
You are a Force nexus, Tysy. Neither decision is going to be easy. If you choose the dark side, you maintain an empire that has killed untold numbers of sentients and oppressed every single living creature that is left. If you choose the light, you release every single being to a life of freedom. Many could die if a civil war breaks out, but war is by no means inevitable. Even if it did, everyone would at least have the freedom to choose what’s best for themselves, their families, their worlds and not have it forced upon them.”

“How do I know he’s as evil as you portray him to be? He’s never been anything like that to me.”

“The dark side is seductive. It lures you in with false appearances until you’re so far in you can’t get out again. But you ask about Devon specifically. Let me show you what he’s done to try to stop my fellow Jedi and me from trying to reach you simply to talk to you.” Jae shared the brutal images of Emperor Devon’s attacks.

“I don’t understand…it all looks so peaceful,” Tysy despaired.

“Please, come with me. With Talin and Jolee we can be a powerful team. We can bring a true peace to the galaxy, not something built on suppression of rights and oppression of everything else in the universe. I will respect your decision, Tysyacha, but I hope you will come with me just the same.”

From MST3K's spoof of "Hercules Unchained"--heard as Roman medic soldiers carry off an unconscious Greek Hercules on a 1950's Army green canvas stretcher: "Hi, we're IX-I-I. Did somebody dial IX-I-I?"

Sith illusions were an acient trick, dating back to the time of Naga Sadow. But even he hadn't been the first one to use them.

Those Jedi were so overconfident. They actually thought they could harm him? Him? His power rivaled, if not surpassed, the mighty Palpatine's!

They always believed what their senses told them. That vision of him wirithing in pain was nothing more than a farce to make him underestimate them all the more. Besides, did they really think they could inflict harm across six thousand years? He had been the first Force-user to break across time, after all.

Devon gave a sigh, and held onto the dark power they had directed back at him. They wanted to play catch, now did they?

The Dark Lord smirked, and sent it back. It's always a bad idea to try and throw a ball at the person who made it.

Words would have been insufficient for what the Council experienced. They all fell onto the floor, and shrieked in agony while clutching themselves. The screams dragged on for several minutes, and Devon sighed to himself.

You have much yet to learn, Jedi. Did you know I once killed a whole Council of you by myself?

He chided them. Never play catch with the bigger boy. Let this be a lesson, and may you learn it well.

The example set, Devon withdrew. The next time would be worse.

So, his empire would kill more people than the civil war? It was a pretty little talk Jae had given, but it in no way explained how to prevent the largest possible war in galactic history. The stastics of the war he had started to unify the galaxy under one ruler were in the billions. And the deaths under his rule were the barest fraction of that number, too. Such lies - and denial! History had shown that the Sith would consume themselves without a leader. Granted, there were only a hundred Sith now, but he doubted the other Lords would follow his unusual tradition once he was gone.

"I have had enough." Devon said to himself. "Jedi always place themselves at risk to help others. My thralls!"

The horrors near Devon glanced up at him. "Walk forward until everything turns blue."

The walking nightmares gazed at the Force storm for a moment, and walked forward. All twenty of them were all swallowed up by the dark side energies, and sent to another time and place.

"I don't think they'll let that old Twi'lek friend of theirs die so casually." Devon muttered to humself. "They have little time to save him. What will you do, Jae?" He asked mockingly.

His mind was hurled across the cosmos, and broke into Jolee Bindo's.

Will you let your old friend die? My minions are sure to succeed without your intervention.

The Dark Lord broke away before there was a response, and started toward his throne room. Shortly later, he sat upon his chair and pressed a button to activate a viewscreen. The transmission was recorded to one of his admirals, who answered promptly.

"Don't ask any questions," Devon started. "Send the 194th fleet to Sector 1. I want it orbiting Braxis IX. Execution will be your penalty if this is not done within the hour."

The admiral scurried away without asking to be dismissed. How brave. Devon normally disliked such crude threats, but the need was dire.

Jae had suddenly departed, and the girl was alone. His vision swirled before her, the same as before.

But this time it was in person.

I do not wish to force a decision upon you, but time passes us by. My body rots, and as it does, so do my powers. Transporting things through space is difficult enough, but through time even moreso. For all I know, I may not even be able to do so the next day!

Her face flashed with indecision. What to do?

Devon's ghostly hand extended to her.

Come with me! To the future! A far-off land of magic and wonder, the likes of which the universe has never before seen!

It will either be now, or it will be never. Will you take a risk, or stay safe in the present?

I have seen all your possible futures. Continue down your current road, and you will become a Jedi Knight. You will die on the planet Baghh, stopping those who sow terror and dissent across it.

It will make little difference. Within a century, your name will be forgotten by all. It will be like you never existed.

But here in the future, you can be a hero! Save the galaxy, and rule it as the Empress of the fourth Sith Empire! Maintain order, peace, and justic for eons! Do it through the light or the darkness, I don't care at this point!

Choose now. Will you risk all to gain all, or wallow in mediocrity and die unrecognized?

She paused.

Come, take my hand. To the future.

Tentatively, she extended it. Devon's shadow clasped her firmly.

Excellent. You won't regret this.

A swirl of dark side energies, and she and the holocron were transported to the Emperor's throne room on Vryss.

Jae would fail. Even if she survived the monsters he had sent out, what did it matter? He was on his throne world, secluded from the galaxy by great fleets, stars, and most importantly, the dark side.

May the Force be with you, he sneered.

And now for his new apprentice. There was much for her to learn, and little time to learn it.

An explosion of energy, and she was deposited on the floor by his throne. He swiveled it about to face her.

"Welcome," he smiled, "to the future. We must begin your training at once."

Tysy blinked. "My training. Of course." It all seemed so surreal, so unreal,
so impossible to be happening at this very moment. Was this a dream? Had
she fallen asleep in the Meditation Garden at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant?
The young girl felt her Padawan Robe surrounding her body. Yes, same soft
cloth, same whitish hue. Same folds of material to allow her free movement.

"This is real," she said, utterly stunned. "I'm six thousand years in the future,
and I still can't believe it. How in space did you manage to transport me
here?" As soon as she asked the question, however, Tysy shook her head.
"It matters not. As soon as I say aye or nay to you, nothing will matter
except the future. The galaxy's future." She heard a voice in her mind's eye...

Vaapad. Vaapad. Vaapad. Vaapad. Now, you STRIKE!

Instinctually, Tysy Dvukh fell into a very difficult combat stance. "You
don't know Form VII," she said to the dark and menacing figure before her,
"or if you did, you would have not have told me to use it. Clumsy moves,
mine are, but I've certainly learned more than you credit me for by viewing
the holocrons of Master Mace Windu! I--don't know--could I strike you?"

She brandished her blue Padawan's lightsaber much as Darth Traya had
brandished her humble vibroblade aboard the Harbinger millennia ago.

"Vapaad?" said Devon casually. "I've studied that form. Very advanced." His tone sounded as if he was discussing the matter over drinks. He was completely oblivious to the lightsaber being brandished in front of him.

"However, I am afraid it won't do you the least bit of good without a lightsaber." Calmly, Devon extended his hand and flicked it upward. Tysys's lightsaber was torn from hers, and thrown into the air. As it was about to fall, it shattered into dozens of pieces.

Devon stared at the small fragments on the floor, and pressed a button on his chair. A small droid emerged from the shadows and vacuumed up the shards. Once the garbage was removed, it left.

"Figures. You would have had to build a new one soon enough in any event."

Devon's tone carried a trace of amusement. "Now that you are here, would you like something to eat? Technically, you have gone two millenia without a meal."

"A meal?" asked Tysy, still half-feeling as if she were coming out of a
sedation stupor. "As long as it's not drugged or poisoned, I'd love one."

As if right on cue, highly-polished metal service droids soon prepared an
elegant banquet for two in the throne room of the Sith Emperor. Tysy
was astonished that the accoutrements of such a meal had not seemed
to change in six thousand years. Crystal goblets? Of course. Gleaming
silverware? Naturally. White tablecloth? Oddly (or perhaps not so much,)
this was the only item that had changed.

The tablecloth was black silk, not white linen. Very Dark Side, very Sith.

The entree was bantha tenderloin, marinated in the finest fruit sauce.
Tysy ate ravenously, her Jedi self-control all but gone. She had been
used to bland Temple commissary food, but such no-frills sustenance was
meant to teach her that "Jedi shall not live by freeze-dried bread alone."

"How do you like it?" asked the Emperor. "Is it to your taste, young one?"

What Tysy wanted to say was, "It's the most delicious meal I have had
in six thousand years", but instead she began to chew slowly and reply,
"I don't feel drugged, or in a stupor. I don't detect even the slightest
trace of mind-altering medications. This is good, because it shows me
that you might be true to your word. Thank you, Lord Emperor." She
bowed her head quickly before returning to the pasta and cream dish.

How can food be such an influence on me? she asked. I'm
supposed to endure it, not love it. I'm only supposed to eat to live,
to take it as a means to survive. What's wrong with me? I'm weak.

She looked to the hooded figure for any trace of a non-cryptic answer.

Naturally, there wasn't one. Every inch of skin on Devon's body had been concealed by his flowing black robes. Although the hood wasn't large enough, his face was hidden in shadows Tysy's gaze could not penetrate.

"Indulgence is no sin, young one. Has anyone been harmed in your enjoyment of this? Of course not. I hope you will enjoy the next course. Since the richest of Hutts of during Xim the Despot's days, I have been the only one to enjoy it."

The next part of the meal arrived, and true to Devon's word, it was enjoyable, whatever it was. Some type of a meat stewed with an exotiv honey.

"I am sure you find my food delicious, but I can sense curiosity within you. You must have many questions."

"Yes," replied Tysy. "First of all, who are you truly? I know you only as the
Presence, which has a capital 'P' in my mind. When I stretch out through
the Force, I can sense desperation within you. I'm sorry that you're dying,
cell by cell and day by day. May I ask you why? What is the cause of your
disease? It's something I've never seen before--never felt before."

Sensing hesitation and defensiveness within the Presence opposite her,
the Padawan explained. "At the Temple, one of my specialties was treating
the wounds of the injured. I can do it with medpacs as well as the Force.
I sense decay in you, and I want to stop it. I want to have it cease, to
influence the midichlorians so they will heal you instead of--remain useless?

"I'm sorry if this makes you angry, causes you to fill with rage. Fury is
the greatest gift of yours, but I want to help. I want to know how to
channel the fury I feel at the way things are, the status quo, to help
both myself and you. How can I heal you, sir? How can I save your life?"

"Your efforts are appreciated, but I doubt they could heal me," admitted Devon. "I have been dying for sixty years. I have had Sith, Dark Jedi, doctors, and more people than I can count trying to heal me. I have tried more remedies and drugs than there are numbers for, and they have done little good."

"The Force is what has truly sustained me. It keeps my dying body strong. It binds my cells together, and staves off the inevitable rot that strikes at me."

He paused. "You are a nexus within the Force. Should you follow my teachings, my own power will double. At my current state, I should have thirty more years to live if you choose to do so. More than enough time to make you more powerful than the Skywalkers themselves."

"Why not try becoming my apprentice for now? Nothing permanent, just a week or two. Learn the basics of my teachings, both light and dark."

"If the power I can offer is not enough, this citadel contains more artifacts of the Force than all the libraries and temples combined of your own time."

"They are not limited to the darkness, either. I have many Jedi relics thought lost during the Great Purge, artifacts of the light that even Master Yoda could comprehend."

"Why not stay, at least for now? Both of us have so much to gain from each other."

As Tysy took the last bite of the second course, she nodded. "I will stay.
One of the flaws that I see in the Jedi Order is their insistence that certain
Force knowlege is taboo. Forbidden. Never to be spoken of, much less used.

"You can help me see what I must, and wish to see to save the galaxy!"

"Your first lesson shall be to experience both sides of the Force. You know of the light, but too much of it blinds you to the darkness. Just as too much of that clouds your percpetion of the light."

"You must learn to use the other side of the Force first. We have little time, so I must send you the place where the dark side is at its strongest. Follow me to my meditation chamber. There you shall tune yourself with the darkness that lies within you."

"My artifacts will aid you in this." Devon picked up the holocron of Traya that lay on the floor. "That relic is just a portion of what you could experience."

He stroked his chin. "Hmm, you'll need approriate attire before any of this. I wil send for tailor droids. I care not what you choose, as long as it shows you follow the darkness as well as the light."

But ED, aren't you too kind to be a Sith? I never seen such a kind sith before.

Subtlety. Palpatine practiced it, and so does Devon. He won't get an apprentice if he starts torturing her at random intervals. Brute force is something he and other more far-sighted Sith look down upon. Randomly killing people is not something he likes.

Other darksiders have acted like him. Revan and Xendor had lovers. Palpatine actually had someone (without a connection to the Force) he considered a genuine friend. Nope, he wasn't his master either.

"A soft yet twisted juxtaposition of a robe is what I'd like to wear," said
Tysy, "made out of black and white material. Soft and silken, but not so
much that it sticks to me whenever I sweat during combat." She smiled.

Arriving on Vryss 6,000 years in the past, the smuggling vessel Dark Horizon started its descent. Landing struts lowered from the vessel's bottom, and it's engines started to power down. For a brief moment, the vessel hovered in place, and then it proceeded to lower itself to the ground. As the landing struts hit the dry surface, dust particles defied the nature of gravity, and moved freely within the air. With a slight bounce to its shocks, the Dark Horizon found its mark upon the surface. Once the vessel fell silent, the main entry ramp started to open, and its mechanical gears echoed in the dead silence. Hitting the surface with a thud, the ramp scattered more dust into the air. At the top of the ramp, the inside light created a robed-silhouette figure. Small flickers of red sparks fell from the silhouette, and lines of smoke lingured around the stranger's head. While remaining in place, the hidden stranger's facial features ocassionally light up, and revealed his dark brown retnas. With the movement of one hand and arm, the stranger summonsed an object from behind him, and then attatched it to his belt clip. While placing his hood over his head, the stranger took his first step forward. As each of his steps hit the ramp, they echoed from within the shell of the vessel. As he remained hidden within his hood, the stranger scanned the unknown planet's surface.

"I need to find some supplies," Magnerous thought, "Maybe the locals will have something of use." As Magnerous walked away from the Dark Horizon, the entry ramp slowly started to close. With a quick flick of a finger, Magnerous tossed the remains of his cigar, and then he continued towards a large ancient temple. "This place feals familar," he thought. "Something dark and familar."

Once he arrived at the tample, Magnerous could sense the precense of two dark figures. Stretching out to the Force, Magnerous tried to sense where they were hidden. Resisting to use the Force for years has paid its toll, and has made him slightly vulnerable to others who are in tune. "If I don't do something quickly," he thought, "I won't have time to react." Keeping his hands in the inner portion of his robe, Magnerous flipped a clip, and then a small round object hit the ground. As he took steps torwards the temple door, Magnerous released four other objects from underneath the robe. Without pulling attention to himself, Magnerous made a quick hand guesture, and used the Force to bury the round objects. Upon arriving at the temple door, two Dark Jedi jumped out from behind him. Turning his head around slightly, Magnerous spoke, "I woudn't move any closer."

Without giving a response, the two Dark Jedi raced torwards the invader. Magnerous made another hand gesture, the ground errupted with a series of explosions, and they killed one of the Sith instantly. As the other Sith fell back, Magnerous summonsed an object off his belt, and with a quick series of bolts he killed the attacker. "Great," Magnerous thought, "I landed on a Sith planet."

While clipping the blaster to his belt, he scanned the temple door's surface. Ancient hydroglyphics were engraved into the stone, but Magnerous could not deciefer their meaning. One of the symbols felt familiar to him, but he could not remember where he had seen it before. "Interesting," Magnerous thought while lighting up another cigar. "Interesting indeed."

-------------------------

I am going to make it hard for you Devon.

I will send my stats to everyone in the morning.

More coming tomorrow.

P.S. I will check my grammar later.

R.I.P. to 'The Source' and 'MacCorp'
2004-2008

Last edited by MacLeodGR; 10-06-2006 at 11:43 PM.
Reason: Some Spelling Only - Nothing More

There's three things that need fixing, though. Vryss is a wet and dark planet. It also had no people or life on it before Devon went there. But if that's important to your chapters we can certainly change it.

There's three things that need fixing, though. Vryss is a wet and dark planet. It also had no people or life on it before Devon went there. But if that's important to your chapters we can certainly change it.

Lol... How about the eastern hemisphere is wet, dark, and lifeless. The western hemisphere is dry, hot, and has a few lifeforms.

I believe you are 6,000 years into the future. Lol... I am 6,000 years in the past.

As his hand dragged across the stone door, Magnerous pressed a series of seven hydroglyphics inward. Each key snapped into place, and the door started to rumble to life. Stones scratched together, the ground shook, and the temple door started to slide upwards. Magnerous couldn't figure out what had happened. As if he had been here before, Magnerous drew the key-sequence from memory.

Once the door was fully open, Magnerous pulled his hood forward, closed his robes, and proceeded into the temple. After taking several steps inside, the door slowly descended into a close position, light was cut off, and the sound of air pressure sealed the temple.

Stretching out to the Force, Magnerous tried to sence the presence of other lifeforms. Being reminded of his out of practice state, his attempt to utilize the Force failed. Magnerous found himself looking down a long corridor, which was being illuminated by several wall torches. Cautiously, he started to walk down the corridor.

Jolee watched the attack. It was successful. Very successful. Too successful...how could I have missed that, now? He called out to the other masters, “It’s one of those damn Sith illusions. Break off—it’s a trap!”

The masters flew back along the time conduit to prepare for the inevitable attack.

“Illusion, eh? Two can play that game,” Jolee muttered. He turned to the other masters as they returned to their time, and waving his hands a bit, projected an image of himself. “Make an avatar of yourself for Devon to attack. Let the illusion take the dark energy and feel the damage. The more real your picture is, the less likely the attack will break through to you. Now, folks—I feel him coming.”

Talin saw Jae kneeling, meditating, and ran to her. “Jae! What are you doing? We’re about to get attacked!”

Jae blinked a moment and focused on him. “Tysy’s not safe. He’s already sent her the holocron of Traya, and she believes him. I may have failed already to keep her on the path of light.” She put her head down in her hands, fighting the fatigue and sadness.

Talin kneeled down next to her, pulling her gently to him. “It’s never too late for anyone. We’ll find a way. Now, we need to build our illusions before Devon comes.”

They created their projections. Jae saw two of everyone, some of the avatars more real than others. Jolee’s illusion was so life-like that Jae wouldn’t have known which one was real if it hadn’t been for the image grinning like an idiot instead of having Jolee’s more normal sardonic look that always hinted at the amusement he saw in the world around him.

Devon’s anger was fierce, and the raw power of the attack crashed down on Talin and Jae’s illusions. Jae started to shake from the effort of holding the details of the image in place as it shrieked and shuddered, taking the damage in place of the Jedi. The sweat made lines on Talin’s face as he fought to keep his avatar from being crushed under the brutal attack. Jae linked with Talin’s mind instinctively, and their combined strength multiplied their power. The illusions held. It was some minutes before the Sith Lord finally appeared satisfied with his ‘lesson’ and ceased the attack. The time conduit collapsed, and the room was silent as the Jedi breathed deeply and regained their strength.

“Everyone alright?” Master Vrook asked, looking at every Jedi with a critical eye for any possible damage. Visas, Kavar, and Jolee all nodded back. Kavar moved to assist Supat, who was leaning back in a chair, pain shadowing his eyes.

Jolee looked over at the couple and saw them facing each other as they both kneeled, foreheads touching, her hands resting on either side of Talin’s head as she healed them both of their minor injuries. When he took her hands in his and kissed her forehead, Jolee announced, “Looks like they’re both fine, too. And Jae, while the lovely tableau Talin and you are creating is very inspiring for a romance holovid, you’re going to make Vrook even more sour than he normally is. I think Kavar could use some help tending to Supat, too.”

Jae got up, noting that Vrook did not appear quite as annoyed as he normally might be at her contact with Talin. She walked over to see about the Ithorian’s injuries. Placing her hands on his head, she sent her healing force through him. “I saw him attack you, Master Supat. I didn’t think you could heal from the attacks so quickly, however. Your vision is OK?”

Supat closed his eyes for a few moments as the relief from the healing flooded through him. Then he looked up at Jae and smiled wanly. “He forgot one thing. His attack only affects peripheral nerves.”

“And retinas are created from central nervous tissue, not peripheral, so the attack there was ineffective,” Jae smiled. Then she became sober once more. “I don’t think we’ll have the same fortune next time. He strikes me as one who hates making mistakes.”

“We cannot underestimate him, indeed. However, it is unwise to allow fear of his power to rule us. Everyone has their weaknesses. His most obvious one is the illness that rots his physical being. I will have to research that one more, but the methods of his attack and my experience in his presence have narrowed the field of possible diseases considerably.”

“You need to rest before you do that research, Master Supat. Healer’s orders,” Jae admonished, but her wink lightened the mood.

Supat patted her hand. “I’ll rest, but there’s much work that needs to be done.”

“Come on, old friend, let’s take you to your quarters,” Vrook said as he helped Supat up. “Between Kavar, Visas, and me, we’ll make sure you follow those Healer’s orders.” The four masters left the Council chambers.

Jolee looked over at Jae and Talin. “We need to go to the Eloni cantina.”

“It’s a little early for a Ryloth beer, don’t you think?” Jae said, dryly.

Jolee shook his head. “It’s never too early for a Ryloth beer. However, that’s not the reason why.”

“Jae needs a dancing lesson?” Talin quipped. Jae looked askance at him and whacked him playfully before he captured her hands in his.

“Hush, you’re both interrupting,” Jolee chided, though the slight grin that followed gave away his amusement. “Devon contacted me as the attack let up. He’s sending ‘minions’ to attack Mik’oth.”

* * *

“Oh, my dear friend the Lekku-less Wonder!” cried out Mik’oth when he spied the Jedi trio enter his cantina.

“I see you must have been watching ‘Extreme Fashion’ this week, Tail-headed Tornado,” Jolee said as he gave the blue Twi’lek a bear hug.

“Stripes are in this season, my old friend. Stripes are in.”

“Yeah, but red, yellow and purple all at the same time?”

“Pfft. What do you know about fashion, anyway? Always wearing that same boring brown robe. It's so last millenium. Some day I’m going to steal that hideous thing and give you something much more up-to-date. Ah, and my favorite young couple who I brought together.” Mik’oth elbowed Talin slyly. “So, how was the honeymoon? You look far too satisfied to tell me it was anything less than very enjoyable. How was the holovid I sent you?”

Jae blushed, and even Talin’s cheeks pinked slightly. “It was, er, very educational. There were some things there that we probably would never have, well, considered.”

“Good. Jae deserves to be taken care of properly, don’t you my dear? How did you like the dancer outfit I left for you at your hotel suite?” He gave her a kiss on both cheeks in greeting before hugging both her and Talin.

“I’ve given it a special place in our home,” Jae grinned while Talin coughed back a laugh.

“Oh, wonderful. I just knew you’d enjoy it. And the fit?” the Twi’lek asked her, winking.

“Was perfect in every way,” Talin interjected. Mik’oth looked over at him and smiled broadly.

“Oh, does that mean I might have a chance of winning the baby bet?” Mik’oth waggled his eyebrows.

“All right, all right, it’s been a very eventful day and Jae doesn’t need to blush any brighter,” Jolee said, shaking his head with a smile. “Let’s find a table, Mik’oth. I have some business that may be a bit urgent.”

Mik’oth returned to his more business-like demeanor and found them a secluded table. They settled into their chairs, though the Jedi maintained a certain vigilance. “What’s wrong, Jolee?” he asked.

Jolee replied, “We had a battle through time with a Sith Lord today. He’s supposed to be sending some minions of his to attack you. We’re here to stop them. We may need to have you leave for your own safety.”

“I have to get my patrons and staff out before I can leave myself,” Mik’oth said. He waved over one of the cantina girls. She listened intently as he gave her instructions. “Darling, put a note on the door that says ‘Closed due to Private Party.’ Have all the staff get the patrons out as quickly as possible, and if something unusual happens before they’re out, get everyone to the nearest exit. Evacuate the staff as soon as we get all these people out. And Li’ella, it’s not a drill.” The corners of her lips dropped as she realized Mik’oth was not joking, and she hurried off to the other staff. Mik’oth went off to greet his patrons and help them find their way out safely, and when he was satisfied that no patrons or staff were in jeopardy, he returned to the table. “OK, Jolee, you’re killing a very profitable night, but I know you’re usually right about these things. What’s next?”

“We look for a way to get you out of harm’s way. I think you should come with us to the Temple—we can protect you better there.”

“Are you crazy? I’m not going to hide out in some stuffy old building when I have work to do.”

The ozone scent of another time conduit filled the cantina, and a dozen walking monsters lumbered out of thin air, followed by 8 more who had not survived the time transfer and were in various states of decomposition when they flopped on the ground. The 3 Jedi and Mik’oth had no time to consider the causes for that. The Jedi ignited their lightsabers and protected Mik’oth as he ran for the bar to find his blaster rifle. The monsters’ small dark eyes looked over the room, and when they saw their prey, they advanced slowly, raising the halberds. One of the monsters’ halberds hit another accidentally, and the injured one collapsed.

That fact teased at Jae’s consciousness as they slashed away at the nightmares that flailed at them. Finally, it coalesced into a solid reason. “The halberds—they’re poisoned somehow! One hit and we’re dead!” she shouted over the din of battle, blocking the blows that came crashing down on her from one of the creatures that was 3 times her size. Her arms shuddered under his unnatural strength, and the halberd nearly grazed her face. She allowed the Force to flow more freely, and it bolstered her energy. She pushed back against him while whirling her blade around, and after several chops, succeeded in removing both arms. The monster collapsed to the ground, howling. Jolee and Talin likewise struggled with lightsabers against the thick-hided beasts. Their skin could almost have been made out of cortosis, it took that much effort to breach. Jolee decided on a different tack, and initiated his Force storm power. All but 2 of the monsters howled, dropping their huge weapons and grabbing their heads. Talin closed to take advantage of their incapacitation, while Jae cocked her head to evaluate the attack’s success, and suddenly had the explanation.

“Keep up the Force storm, Jolee! They have metal teeth! I’m going after those last 2.”

“I don’t have too many shots at this, Jae. It takes a ton of energy.”

As she approached, she saw Mik’oth shooting at them while they muttered with a nearly worshipful look and what passed for a smile on their vapid faces, “Must go to blue! Must go to blue!”

Jae yelled over to Mik’oth, “Get down behind the bar! They want you because you’re blue!”

Mik’oth ducked down out of sight as Jae leaped over the bar to protect him. She saw their look of disappointment as they realized their ‘blue’ was now gone. Their disappointment turned to anger and they started smashing away at tables and chairs to get to the ‘blue.’

Jae and Mik’oth hunkered down under the bar and whispered to each other as much as possible over the din of lightsabers crashing against the monsters, tables and chairs breaking, and glass shattering.

“Mik’oth, you got anything here that’s blue that I can wear to distract them from you? Shirt? Towel? Jacket? They’re mesmerized by blue.”

Mik’oth looked around briefly through some of the drawers tucked under the bar, then got a sheepish look on his face. “Jae, I’ve got only one thing in blue.” He lifted up a dancer’s outfit from the drawer. “It even has tiny blue accent lights.”

“Please tell me you’re kidding.”

“Jae, we’re being attacked by ungodly creatures. Would I kid at a time like this?”

“Yes!”

“OK, I might, but it really is the only thing I’ve got.”

Jae took the outfit from his hands. “Close your eyes.”

“What?”

“Close your eyes. I have to get dressed in this darn thing, you can at least give me some privacy.”

“Jae, I’ve seen it all, believe me.”

“Not mine, thank you.”

Mik’oth sighed and closed his eyes. “Someday when we’re not getting attacked by the latest Sith creation, we’re going to have to have a little chat about this prude problem.”

She only caught him peeking one time. “The question is if there’s enough material in this thing for the blue to trigger their tiny little brains.”

“May I open my eyes now?”

“You may.”

He reached for a spot on the dancing bra, and when Jae made a move to bat his hand away, he held up a finger to stop her. “Ah-ah. Don’t you slap me. I’m just going to turn on the switch for the lights.” He found the tiny button on the strap and starbursts of blue lights lit up all over the outfit and started flashing.

“Mik’oth, this is an absolutely garish costume.”

“That’s a lovely compliment. Thank you. You fill it out rather nicely, I might add.”

“Just help me get on top of the bar.”

“Ooh, nice view.”

Jae glared at him.

Mik’oth held up his hands. “I quit, I promise I quit, but you look just luscious!” He poked his head up just high enough to see where the creatures were. “Dance around, Jae. I’ll call them.”

Jae thought briefly about how ridiculous it was to be dancing on top of a bar in an outfit that left absolutely nothing to the imagination, aqua lightsaber lit in one hand.

Mik’oth whistled loudly and called out, “Here, monsters!! Come to the blue!!”

One of the misshapen monstrosities turned its head at the sound and saw Jae swaying on the bar. “Blue! Must go to Blue!”

“Well, it’s obvious now that they should.” He called out again. “Come on, monsters. Here’s the blue!!”

Another of the monsters turned and was mesmerized. They trudged over towards the bar, chanting “Blue! Blue! Must go to Blue!”
Jolee had to stop his Force storm on the remaining 5 briefly to regain strength. They heard the others chanting “Blue!” and followed. Jae found herself with 7 monsters at her feet, all swaying along with her and watching her intently, stupid smiles on their faces. Jolee and Talin looked at each other in disbelief, then walked up behind all of them, spearing through them one by one. Jae noted that it took several times to pierce the thick hides and heavy skeletons, but then Jolee found the location of their hearts, and the two men worked quickly to finish off the rest.

Once all the creatures were dead, Talin helped Jae down off the bar. “You look exquisite,” he grinned.

“Can I borrow your robe?”

From MST3K's spoof of "Hercules Unchained"--heard as Roman medic soldiers carry off an unconscious Greek Hercules on a 1950's Army green canvas stretcher: "Hi, we're IX-I-I. Did somebody dial IX-I-I?"

Tysy followed a few hesitant paces behind the Force Presence who had called
her, feeling more nervous by the second. This was wrong. This was dead
wrong, for Meditation Chambers were the places where Jedi became Sith and
Sith either became Jedi or died from the pain that the Light caused them.I must not fear, she told herself. Not because fear is an automatic
path to the Dark Side, but because This One will sense it and feed upon it.

"Welcome to my most private of sanctuaries," announced the Presence.
"This Meditation Chamber is home to me. It is where I can concentrate on
the Force the most and therefore channel it. It is where I focus my power."

And where I can focus mine. Tysy suddenly realized that this place
imbued with scarlet light and curling red smoke need not be a death trap.
"It's very nice," she said at first, but then the Padawan remembered this
wasn't a stylish new addition to an apartment on the reborn planet Taris.
"It amazes me," she said, "the atmosphere, the dark energy here. Are you
sure you aren't trying to sway me through some arcane Force power?"

"Come now, child," said the Presence, smiling. "True Sith consider it a far
greater victory to convince someone to join them of their own free will."

Of course. Darth Sidious, or Palpatine, had used torture. So had
his apprentice, Darth Vader, and the various officers beneath them. Was
it any wonder that the Empire had crumbled so quickly once they both
had died? Even animals rebelled against their masters if their masters
were cruel. Tysy had a thought that this Presence was trying to "kill
her with kindness", as the old Galactic bromide went, but there was
something more to this. Something not yet known to her, and insidious.

"What do you wish me to do?" asked Tysy, not calling the Other "Master".

"Reach out through the Force. Sense the power here, and the anger. This
anger is not directed against you, young one, or even the Jedi as a whole,
but the Light Side of the Force. The truth of the matter is that no one, as
long as they are not gods and mere mortals, can meet the excruciating
standard of perfection that the Light demands from them. Can you see it?"

"I see it," I said, my voice a whisper, "although through a haze, darkly. The
Light Side represents honor, compassion, responsibility, charity. Even though
it makes me feel like more of a person when I do good things, I feel like far
less of one when I fail to do them or make a mistake. It's the mistakes that
I remember. The shame of having to answer to the Masters in the Jedi
Temple when I stole something, or did not get involved when the weak
were about to be oppressed by the strong. I said I was sorry, but still..."

"Still, the Jedi did not forgive you. They remembered your mistakes, and
the Masters held them against you in silence when you ventured out to do
your next good deed. Why do you cling to the Light, when it has brought
you nothing but guilt and pain at its core? Shame and agony? If there is
one Master who has ever been completely kind to you besides Skywalker,
then tell me. Name one, and the hold of the Dark Side shall lessen upon you."

Silence from Tysy. She sensed the Presence was pleased. I told you.

Suddenly, the girl remembered. "Master Onasi! She never condemned, never
judged." Tysy stood up and instinctively fell into the Vaapad stance once more.

"Indeed? It is she and her slaves whom I will soon call to account on Vryss."

Tysy's heart stopped dead cold. For two seconds, her pulse did not sound.No! You monster! She sent a frantic message out through the Force:

Leave me. Leave me here. Don't try to come and save me. If you do,
this Presence will hunt you, and you will die. Stay where you are. Ya liubliu
tebya--I love you, Master Onasi--and I want you to live and save the galaxy!

Devon stared out across the rain-drenched plains of Vryss. An unusually large storm was brewing in the air, just as one had been created in the Force.

The Sith Lord smiled to himself. They fell for the trap perfectly!

Oh, the torture session with the 'Council' was useful in how they would underestimate him, but then again, that was all moot.

Jae and her friends were on far-off Coruscant. Far away from the planet of those irksome creatures that meddled in time.

His Force storm had worked pefectly. Several of his pets had been killed instantly when he sent them on their assassination mission, so Jae would doubt his ability with that power even more.

It was so simple. He had ordered a fleet of his ships to Braxis IX. Once there, he had sent them through time. But that was no true credit to his abilites. All he had to do was conjure the storm, and release his hold over it. It soon had grown out of control, and had swallowed up every last ship.

But they had survived. His vision was on them right now.

Dozens upon dozens of his finest warships were heading to Li'adin right now. Upon arrival, he had given the order for the planet to be turned into space dust.

Who will 'save' Tysy now?

Of course, this would take time. The space around Li'adin was highly unstable, no doubt a result of generations of time-travelling. It would take time for his ships to be able to launch an orbital bombardment. He couldn't say how long.

But not time enough for the Jedi!

The Jedi. Where were they? Devon reached out.

Ah, there they are.

So, his pets had been killed? It was of little consequence. He'd sent another just as stupid batch mere minutes ago.

Unfortunately, they were even more faulty than the first. Not only did they have a passion for the color blue, but also for food as well. But that would be for the better. Twelve monsters eating that Twi'lek into poverty would distract the Jedi even longer.

Jedi. Such an annoying title. One his prospective apprentice was clinging to like a child's worn-out toy. One that was dirty, and needed to be replaced by something obviously better.

Showing signs of rebellion, was she? Devon sighed to himself, and reached out towards his meditation chamber. The Sith holocrons were retracted behind the walls, and replaced with ones the Jedi had made. They had been thought lost during the war with Exar Kun.

Raw, stale, and decaying air filled his lungs, and it reminded Magnerous about the Sith tombs on Korriban. Smuggling Sith artifacts from around the galaxy was dangerous, and it had cost Magnerous gravely for his youthful naïveness. However, that was another lifetime ago, and now Magnerous was searching for supplies to replenish his reserves. Entering the temple was more of a necessity than a curiosity, and not being in tune with the Force would make this journey even more dangerous.

Inching his way forward, Magnerous followed the corridor to a massive chamber, which contained two other passageways. One passage leads to the north, and the other passage stretched out to the west. As he kept himself hidden at the lip of the corridor, Magnerous studied the contents of the room carefully. Along the eastern wall, pieces of a mural could be seen piercing through a layer of webbing. Another two sets of hieroglyphics wrapped around the rim of the ceiling and floor. Torch stands were scattered throughout the room, and they illuminated the area in dim lighting. On the western side of the room, near the passageway, two large and tall statues sit at both ends of a stone tablet.

Echoing from the northern passage were voices, and they appeared to be moving towards Magnerous’s direction. Quickly, he moved behind one of the large statues, and waited for the new comers to arrive.

---

Coming out of the passage were three young Sith students. Along with their traditional gray uniforms, they each had a saber hilt attached to their belts. Stopping in the middle of the room, the three students stood and continued their debate. “Look I am telling you Atrina,” one of the male students spoke, “Master Onasi was definitely betrayed by his apprentice.”

Frustrated with Jonas’s interpretation to history, Atrina replied, “I don’t think it was that simple. Lord Tiberius left the Jedi Order because she disagreed with their policy. Her reputation as Dark Lord showed that she was not an ordinary Sith. Lord Tiberius showed compassion for others. ”

“Okay, enough of this speculation,” Jonas countered with a slightly disagreeable tone, “I heard rumors that the Onasi family has an heir that lives on today.”

Chuckling under her breath, Atrina replied, “Jonas, your full of tall tales.” Shaking her head in a mocking fashion, she added, “Come on. Lor-“ Feeling a slight sensation in the Force, Atrina stopped in mid sentence to observe her surroundings. “Come on. Master Shar sent us here for a reason,” Atrina continued, “This place gives me the creeps.”

As they headed towards the western passageway, Atrina picked up another sensation in the Force. “What on Korriban is going on,” she questioned, “I don’t think we are alone.” Scanning the area aimlessly, Atrina couldn’t find where she sensed the intruder.

---

Approximately four feet from where Atrina was standing, Magnerous could feel the beating of her heart, and the oxygen that was being released from her lungs. “Young this one is,” Magnerous thought, “But very inexperienced.” Stretching out the Force, Magnerous was able to summons enough of the energy field, so he could click on all three-saber hilts at once.

With three bright red flashes of light, the sabers cut through the upper leg of all three students. Under the duress of severe pain, the students fell helplessly to the floor. Within moments of their fall, two of the students died from heavy blood loss. Screaming from the intense pain, Atrina rocked back and forth on the floor.

Walking out from his hiding place, Magnerous flicked his old cigar, and light up another one to take its place. As he leaned over the last survivor, he spoke with a slight muffle, “If you want to continue breathing, you will tell me what I need to know. Do you understand?”

Clenching her leg firmly, Atrina gave a slight nod, and asked with fear reverberating in her voice, “What do you want?”

Magnerous tore a portion of her uniform, and wrapped a small tourniquet around her leg. After he slowed her blood loss down, Magnerous leaned her against the base of a statue, and then replied, “I would like to know why you are here? Who sent you, and who does this temple belong to?”

In the Meditation Chamber of the Presence, Tysy still had the holocron
of Darth Traya in the pocket of her regulation Jedi-issue nightdress. She
was pleased that the dark hooded figure had offered her Jedi holocrons
while retracting the ones that the Sith created back into the walls. For
now, Traya's was all she needed, all the Dark Side influence she could bear.

Tysy took down one of the Jedi holocrons gingerly, glowing light blue in a
pyramid shape. Perhaps setting it down next to the seething red one of
Traya was an unwise move, but up until now, Tysy had believed that
holocron presences kept to themselves and did not interact with other ones.

She was about to know how wrong she was when she activated the Jedi one.

"Good evening," said the holocron image, a dark-haired female with serious
blue eyes. "My name is Bastila Shan, and I am a Jedi. I sense that I am a
prisoner here, in a Sith Lord's meditation chamber. No matter. I can still
rescue you, if not in body, then in mind and soul. Are you a prisoner as well?"

"No," I said. "Not really, madam. I was transported here through time,
because the Presence who uses this chamber needs me. He is dying,
and he needs someone who can follow his teachings and continue them."

"Ah. Another Sith Lord. Exactly what this galaxy needs and craves. I'm sorry
if I sound harsh, but this Presence of whom you speak means nothing but
harm to you. He means to turn you to the Dark Side, and I won't have it."

The holocron of Traya began to tremble, and it flickered into malignant life
of its own accord. "You won't have it? What about the Padawan? Isn't it
her decision whether she follows the path of the Lght or Dark Side, Jedi?"

Bastila's image frowned. "Darth Traya. You're the one who taught my
only Revan, and you were the one who destroyed him. I've had several
thousand years to think about why he left me, and I'm convinced that
your latent teachings caused him to abandon me and the rest of his crew."

"My latent teachings? My dear child, my foolish one, you still do not
understand. Revan left for the Unknown Regions without you in order
to make sure that you did not die. He cared for you and Zaalbar, and
Canderous Ordo, and Mission, and the rest aboard the Ebon Hawk.
What kind of a Jedi would he have been had he sacrificed all of you?"

"We would not have died. However, we need to get back to the issue
at hand. How is this Sith Lord twisting your mind? Through torture, or
through seemingly kind treatment that has an ulterior motive behind it?"

"The second one. However, he's also telling me what I believe is the
truth about the Light Side of the Force. The Light Side demands and
expects perfection from everyone who claims to practice it. I can't
meet this standard, and he says that's why the Light Side causes
nothing but shame and guilt in its followers. I can't argue with that."

"Can't you?" said Bastila. "Standards for Jedi are high for a reason.
I know that you've made some mistakes in your life with the Order.
We all have; that's a part of being human. However, you no longer
need to feel shame and guilt when you do wrong. Something has
already forgiven you for them and integrated them into its plan."

"What has?"

"The Force. It has a destiny for you, a grand design for your future."

This made Darth Traya laugh. "Indeed. It wants to use you, to control
you to achieve some measure of balance. This is what I fought against,
why I tried to destroy the Force through the wounds of the Jedi Exile.
Would you be a slave to this Force, young one, or would you rather
control it? Use it as a weapon, an ally in your crusade against Light?"

"I don't know if I want to fight a crusade against Light. As for being
a slave to the Force, I would rather be its slave than its Master. I've
always wanted there to be something beyond me, something beyond
myself. The Force is what I've wanted, and I believe that following
the path of Light is the best way to make sure it stays in balance."

"Is it?" Traya pursed her lips. "I would like to talk to you of hypocrisy."